Oxygenated Fuels Effective: June 18, 2017
Filed with Code Reviser (CR-101) - WSR 16-23-077, November 15, 2016 Preliminary Notice Published - WSR 16-23, December 7, 2016 Filed with Code Reviser (CR-102) - WSR 17-04-110, February 1, 2017 Proposed Regulation Published - WSR 17-04, February 15, 2017 Filed with Code Reviser (CR-103) - WSR 17-11-081, May 18, 2017 Final Regulation Published - WSR 17-11, June 7, 2017 Effective Date of Final Rules June 18, 2017
OXYGENATED FUELS Section Page 492-010 Policy and purpose 1 492-020 Applicability 1 492-030 Definitions 1 492-040 Compliance requirements 2 492-050 Registration requirements 3 492-060 Labeling requirements 3 492-070 Control area and control period 4 492-080 Enforcement and compliance 4 492-090 Unplanned conditions 4 492-100 Severability 5 SWCAA 492-010 Policy and Purpose The purpose of this regulation is to reduce carbon monoxide emissions from gasoline powered motor vehicles, through the wintertime use of oxygenated gasolines in areas that are either known or expected to exceed health-based air quality standards for carbon monoxide. SWCAA 492-020 Applicability This regulation is only applicable to Clark County when the Carbon Monoxide Maintenance Plan Contingency Measure is triggered as a result of a confirmed violation of the carbon monoxide National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) in the Vancouver air quality management area (AQMA). The Vancouver AQMA is described in the Carbon Monoxide Maintenance Plan. When triggered, this regulation shall apply to all gasoline offered for sale in the control area and over the control period defined in section SWCAA 492-070. This regulation and the discontinuance of the oxygenated fuel requirements shall be effective upon EPA approval of the Vancouver Carbon Monoxide Maintenance Plan. [Statutory Authority: Chapter 70.94.141 RCW. Original adoption WSR 93-16-010 filed 7/22/93, effective 8/22/93; WSR 96-21-103 filed 10/21/96, effective 11/21/96; WSR 01-05-068 filed 2/15/01, effective 3/18/01] SWCAA 492-030 Definitions The following words and phrases shall have the following meanings: (1) Agency means the Southwest Clean Air Agency. (2) "Blender" means a person who owns oxygenated gasoline which is sold or dispensed from an oxygenate blending facility for use in a control area during a control period. June 18, 2017 1
(3) "Control area" means an area in which only oxygenated gasoline under the oxygenated gasoline program may be sold or dispensed. Each control area is a county or group of counties administered by the Authority. (4) "Control period" means the period during which oxygenated gasoline must be sold or dispensed within the control area which is November 1 through February 29. (5) "Ecology" or "WDOE" means the Washington State Department of Ecology. (6) "Gasoline" means any fuel sold for use in motor vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines, and commonly known or sold as gasoline. Blended and oxygenated fuels are considered gasoline. (7) "Large Volume Blender" means blenders that blend and offer for sale or sell one million gallons or more, but less than 15 million gallons, of oxygenated gasoline per month, on average, during a control period within a control area. (8) "Medium Volume Blender" means blenders that blend and offer for sale or sell 100 thousand gallons or more, but less than one million gallons, of oxygenated gasoline per month, on average, during a control period within a control area. (9) "Oxygenate" means any substance which, when added to gasoline, increases the amount of oxygen in the gasoline blend. Lawful use of any combination of these substances requires that they be substantially similar under section 211(f)(1) of the Federal Clean Air Act (CAA), or be permitted under a waiver granted by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency under the authority of section 211(f)(4) of the CAA. (10) "Oxygenated gasoline" means gasoline that contains a measurable amount of oxygenate, generally an alcohol or ether. (11) "Small Volume Blender" means blenders that blend and offer for sale or sell less than 100 thousand gallons of oxygenated gasoline per month, on average, during a control period within a control area. (12) "Southwest Clean Air Agency (SWCAA)" means the regional agency empowered to enforce and implement the Federal Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7410, et seq.) and the Clean Air Washington Act (RCW 70.94) in Clark, Cowlitz, Lewis, Skamania and Wahkiakum Counties of Washington State. (13) "Very Large Volume Blender" means blenders that blend and offer for sale or sell 15 million gallons or more of oxygenated gasoline per month, on average, during a control period within a control area. [Statutory Authority: Chapter 70.94.141 RCW. Original adoption WSR 93-16-010 filed 7/22/93, effective 8/22/93; WSR 96-21-103 filed 10/21/96, effective 11/21/96; WSR 01-05-068 filed 2/15/01, effective 3/18/01] SWCAA 492-040 Compliance Requirements (1) Retail Sales. No gasoline intended as a final product for fueling of motor vehicles within the control area and control period defined in SWCAA 492-070 shall be offered for sale, sold or dispensed by any person unless the gasoline has at least 2.0% oxygen content by weight. (2) Average Blend Requirements. Over each two-month interval during the control period, gasoline intended as a final product for fueling of motor vehicles within the Authority's control area defined in SWCAA 492-070 supplied by blenders to purchasers within the Authority's control area defined in SWCAA 492-070 shall average at least 2.7% oxygen by weight, and in no case be less than 2.0% oxygen content by weight. June 18, 2017 2
(3) Reports. Blenders shall provide periodic reports, as stipulated in the blenders registration, to the Authority summarizing how the requirements of SWCAA 492-040 (2) were met. With prior approval from the Authority, a credit trading program may be used to comply with these requirements. Such reports shall be on forms provided by the Authority. SWCAA 492-050 Registration Requirements (1) Each blender who offers for sale, sells, or dispenses gasoline in the Agency s control area shall register with the Agency each year. Each request for registration shall be on forms supplied by the Agency and shall be accompanied by a fee to compensate for the cost of administering the registration program, including on-site inspections necessary to verify compliance with these requirements. The location of each blender facility shall be included in the information provided by the blender at registration. The fee for a control area shall be based on the volume of oxygenated gasoline sold or offered for sale by the blender in that control area to comply with the provisions of SWCAA 492-040. Applicable fees are required to be paid in full by October 1 of each year or within 30 days after becoming a blender, whichever occurs later. Fees shall be paid as provided in the current Consolidated Fee Schedule established in accordance with SWCAA 400-098. (2) The total annual oxygenated fuel fees collected and retained by the Agency under this program shall not exceed $40,000. When the total fees submitted by all blenders on October 1 of each year exceeds $40,000, there shall be a refunding of the excess fees collected by the Agency. The refund provided to each blender shall be derived by prorating the excess fees based on that company's ratio of its volume of oxygenate blended to the total volume of all oxygenate blended. Such refund shall be issued by the Agency by December 1 of each year and is applicable to all types of oxygenates. [Statutory Authority: Chapter 70.94.141 RCW. Original adoption WSR 93-16-010 filed 7/22/93, effective 8/22/93; WSR 95-10-003 filed 4/20/95, effective 5/21/95; WSR 01-05-068 filed 2/15/01, effective 3/18/01; WSR 17-11-081 filed 5/18/17, effective 6/18/17] SWCAA 492-060 Labeling Requirements In addition to other labeling requirements, fuel dispensing systems delivering oxygenated gasoline shall be conspicuously labeled during the control period and in the control area stated in SWCAA 492-070 as follows: "The gasoline dispensed from this pump is oxygenated and will reduce carbon monoxide pollution from motor vehicles." June 18, 2017 3
SWCAA 492-070 Control Area and Control Period The oxygenated gasoline requirements of this regulation shall apply to the following control area during the minimum following control period. The control period may begin earlier if there is a violation of the ambient air quality standard outside of the control period: CONTROL AREA COUNTIES CONTROL PERIOD BEGINNING ENDING Southwest Clark November 1 February 29 [Statutory Authority: Chapter 70.94.141 RCW. Original adoption WSR 93-16-010 filed 7/22/93, effective 8/22/93; WSR 96-21-103. filed 10/21/96, effective 11/21/96; WSR 01-05-068 filed 2/15/01, effective 3/18/01] SWCAA 492-080 Enforcement and Compliance (1) Compliance with the requirements of this regulation shall be monitored and enforced by the Authority. Non-compliance shall be subject to the penalties and other remedies provided in 70.94 RCW. (2) The Authority may designate any appropriate agency of the State to assist in the compliance monitoring of this regulation. (3) Compliance with the standards set forth in this regulation shall be determined by use of testing methods approved by Ecology or the Authority. The maximum accuracy tolerance of this method shall be limited to +/- 0.3% oxygen by weight, or an equivalent tolerance when measured by volume. SWCAA 492-090 Unplanned Conditions An unplanned condition, such as an unforeseen emergency or "act of God", which may interfere with compliance to this regulation, shall be reported to the Authority as soon as possible. The responsible party shall also submit a full written report within ten days to the Authority, including the known causes, the corrective actions taken, and the preventive measures to be taken to minimize or eliminate the chance of recurrence. Compliance with the requirements of SWCAA 492-090 does not relieve the responsible party from the responsibility to maintain continuous compliance with all the requirements of this regulation nor from the resulting liabilities for failure to comply. The Authority shall consider the circumstances of the unplanned condition, and may use the circumstances when determining enforcement. June 18, 2017 4
SWCAA 492-100 Severability The provisions of this regulation are severable and if any provision is held invalid, the application of such provision to the other circumstances and the remainder of this regulation shall not be affected. June 18, 2017 5